To understand the biodiversity of insects in different sites around their community, students performed a leaf litter lab where leaf litter was collected from two sites: one from beneath the trees in an organically managed, commercial landscape established one year ago and one from beneath the trees in a nearby nature preserve that have not been trimmed or managed in over twenty years. The students hypothesized that there would be more insect biodiversity in the leaf litter at the nature preserve than at the managed site. The leaf litter from each site was placed into a funnel with a light shone on the top to drive any insects out of the litter. Species were collected in an alcohol-filled container below the funnel, and the species were identified using magnifying lenses and a key. (h) Identify a variable that should be constant between the two study sites. (i) One variable not mentioned in the description of the experiment that could affect the results of the investigation is reduced canopy cover. Describe the effect that canopy cover would likely have on the results of the investigation.

To understand the biodiversity of insects in different sites around their community, students performed a leaf litter lab where leaf litter was collected from two sites: one from beneath the trees in an organically managed, commercial landscape established one year ago and one from beneath the trees in a nearby nature preserve that have not been trimmed or managed in over twenty years. The students hypothesized that there would be more insect biodiversity in the leaf litter at the nature preserve than at the managed site. The leaf litter from each site was placed into a funnel with a light shone on the top to drive any insects out of the litter. Species were collected in an alcohol-filled container below the funnel, and the species were identified using magnifying lenses and a key.

(h) Identify a variable that should be constant between the two study sites.

(i) One variable not mentioned in the description of the experiment that could affect the results of the investigation is reduced canopy cover. Describe the effect that canopy cover would likely have on the results of the investigation.